I finally beat Braid and wrapped up Chapter 4 of Tales From Monkey Island. I solved 70% of Braid on my own and walkthrough'ed the remaining 30%. Puzzle games are a no-win proposition. I'll have to trade the satisfaction of solving things on my own for not wasting time. I reach a certain point where the idea of waste outweighs any sense of accomplishment. I bought Braid for a buck. I already got my money's worth. Let's just beat it and move on already.
I obsessed a little bit about the story--or lack thereof. I'm forced to make the conclusion that the narrative is derived from the school of DMA Design--in order words, it doesn't mean anything. Okay, I'm sure it means something, but the elements are so disparate and obfuscated that there's no point in digging deeper than I already have. A great narrative is layered with both easy and difficult to understand concepts. Braid is just esoteric. No need to bother with it.
At night, I beat Chapter 4. I'm so close to wrapping up the whole season I can taste it. I usually play an hour on my own before I get tired of clicking things and consult a FAQ. Like I said, I don't feel too bad about it because I only spent a dollar. I already got my money's worth on the very first episode, which, ironically, I beat entirely on my own. The puzzles are getting more and more obtuse. In the words of a great woman, "Ain't nobody got time for that."
/eventlog
